Zebra shark

Stegostoma fasciatum

Species Information
Exhibit Name and Location Wings in the Water – Main Aquarium, Level 1
Description of Animal These zebras lose their stripes! As juveniles, these sharks have dark bodies with yellowish stripes. Once adults, the pattern changes to small dark spots on a grayish tan background. Because of this change, zebra sharks are often referred to as leopard sharks. Two more features make this shark difficult to confuse with any other: the prominent ridges running the length of the body and the impressive tail, which is nearly as long as the body itself.
Aquarist's Note As our divers feed animals in the Wings in the Water exhibit, you might notice the Zebra shark swimming extremely close to the divers – even between their legs. She is partially blind, and because of this we plan to train her to respond to sounds, so we can call her to a station when we feed her. When you visit, you might see the results of this training.
Diet Zebra sharks feed mainly on reef mollusks and crustaceans as well as small fish. This shark’s flexible body allows it to squirm into narrow crevices and reef channels in search of food.
Size The maximum reported size is nearly 12 feet (3.6 m), although lengths of less than 7½ feet (2.3 m) are more common.
Range Zebra sharks are found around near-shore reefs of the western Pacific Ocean (Japan to Australia), the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea.
Population Status Although this shark is not listed as threatened or endangered, it is regularly taken in inshore fisheries and may thus be vulnerable to decline.
Predators With the exception of some other large sharks, few predators could tackle an adult Zebra shark. As with other sharks, humans are the biggest threat. Zebra shark meat, collected by inshore fisheries, is sold both fresh and salt-dried and is used in fishmeal. The livers are processed for vitamins, and the fins are dried for the shark-fin trade.